Cinque Torri, Dolomites, Italy

One of the wonders of the Dolomites

How to get to Cinque Torri?

Five Towers ("The 5 Towers") is in Dolomites, Cortina d'Ampezzo region, 15 km from the famous mountain resort on the SR48. We came from Passo di Falzareggo. We parked after only 4 km at the departure base of the chairlift from where we took the chairlift up to Scoiatolli Refuge. There is also a forest road going up to the ridge, but I don't know its condition.

Route map

(click on objectives for extended version)

Technical box

Difficulty: medium difficulty, difficult on the shortcut between map points 3 and 5 if there is snow

Duration / distance: 1,5 hours / 2 km

Marking: unmarked, between points 3 and 5 on the map, we followed a shortcut between the towers

Water sources: at the refuge

Minimum altitude: 2,200 meters, at the entrance of the shortcut, point 3 on the map

Maximum altitude: 2,270 meters, at the exit of the shortcut, point 5 on the map

Level difference: +200 m / -200 m

Remarks: loop route, partly "invented" by us on the shortcut between points 3 and 5 on the map

1. Cinque Torri Circuit - Part 1

First closer visual contact with the famous cliffs of Five Towers was this one from the chairlift near the refuge. You can quite clearly see the path that most first time tourists follow. It is to the left of the cable car station, facing the ridge we climbed. It is a circuit trail of medium difficulty. The walking time is 1- 1,5 hours. And yet, at the foot of the stone colossuses, superb mountain flowers delight our eyes, among which the gentian with its unmistakable strong blue or the rhododendron (mountain peony), which colors in June whole peaks in pink/red. Some granite blocks are taller than man.

Gentian

fortress of rock

in the foreground, Torre Grande

Scoiatolli Refuge

landscape

granite blocks taller than man

2. Mountaineers' paradise

The Dolomites are a rock fortress with impressive towers and turrets. Cinque Torri is also mountaineers' paradise eager to conquer the peaks of the stone towers by climbing vertically in ropes and securing themselves with rifles clipped into the pinnacles driven into the rock. The view is breathtaking. The towers are grande.

mountaineers' paradise

climber satisfaction

3. The short - part two

The first half of our route is free of obstacles, when suddenly it is not clear where to continue. In fact it doesn't follow what seems to be a wider slope, but turns abruptly left, entering steeply between 2 huge rock giants. Honestly, I thought that this is the way climbers have access to their specialized routes. In the end we decided that we, ordinary mortals, still had to dare to go that way, although later we saw on the map the bypass around the cliffs. The steep section was still steep as it was, but what about the fact that we were entering on a pile of flat snow, between the two walls, as if through a canyon. The difficulty was in maintaining balance, especially on the downhill side of the snow tongue.

between the rocks

me the Cinque Torri

4. Cinque Torri Circuit - part three

After having escaped the "slippery" section, we cross on a level curve on a road that has been paved and hardened with a lot of stone. We are already on the other side of the Cinque Torri, where the steep ridge catches your eye and invites your camera to click more. We pass through an area of dwarf jnepenis and as the red appears more and more in front of our eyes we don't hurry, because it's time for a break among mountain peonies. Further on, sensitive flowers of forget-me-not ask for the promise of their name. No, I won't forget Five Towers. A beautiful place!

landscaped road

rhododendron

The Dolomites

impressive turrets

Five Towers

Conclusion

The natural granite fortress of Five Towers remains there, in the Dolomites, waiting for more and more tourists. Other routes can be made to Rifuggio 5 Torri or Rifuggio Averau. At Rifuggio Scoiatolli near the top of the chairlift you can have lunch or coffee on the terrace. We found the area quite crowded, with only one table available, although the terrace was generous.

I have visited

Lake Misurina

Three Peaks of Lavaredo

Falzarego yes Lagazuoi

Lake Braies

Lake St. Catherine

All the best!